Improvement in boiler-tube plugs



T. E. HAND.

BOILER TUBE PLUG. No. 188,525. Patented March 20,187?.

Wii/286565.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THoMAs B.. HAND, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOILER-TUBE PLUGS.

Speoification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1884325, dated March20, 1877; application filed February 22, 1877 Toall whom it may concernBe it known that I, THOMAS R. HA.ND, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have ;invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boiler-Tube Pluggers, which invention is fully set forthin the following specification, reference being had to the accornpanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l represents' a side view of my improvementappliedto a boiler-tube, and illustrating the method of securing theplug in the tube. Fig. 2 is a like -view the'eof, illustrating themanner of removing the plug. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section ot' aportion of the wrench.

Similar letters indicate correspondin g parts.

My invention consists, mainly, in a tool or wrench which is designed tobe used in conjunction with that class of plugs consisting of an elasticdisk, which is arranged between a head and a Washer, and compressed andexpanded in the boiler-tube by means of a screwbolt, in such a way thata tight joint is made between the elastic disk and the tool. My saidtool or wrench iscomposed of a polygonal socket, which fits the nut onthe screw: bolt of the plug above named, and of a tubular stem having aninternal screw-thread,which fits the shank of the screw-bolt thepolygonal socket being so arranged that it-can be attached to thetubular screwrstem anddetached therefrom-at will,and the wholebeingcombined with a suitable handle, so that when the plug is driveninto the boiler-tube, and the polygonal socket is made to catch over thenut on the screw-bolt, the bolt can be tighteed by its means, andthereby theelastic disk of the plug is compressed and expanded, while,when the socket is detached and the tubular stem is screwed on thesha-uk of the bolt, the plug can be readily drawn out of the tube. Itconsists, also, in combining, with the tubular screw-ste'n of thewrench, a flange equal to the diameter of the boiler-tube in Which'the;plug is inserted, or near-ly so, for the purpose of guiding the wrenchin the tube. lt consists, further, in combi'ning a scraper with the headof the plug, bythe action of which scraper.

the boiler-tube is cleared of ashes and other substances when the plugis inserted in the tube.

In the drawing, the letter A designates an elastic disk, which isarranged between a head, B, and a Washer, G, and through which, as

well as the head B and washer G, passes a screw-bolt, D, on one end ofwhich is fitted a nut, E. The elastic disk A, head B, and Washer Care ofsuch diameter as will permit of their being readily introduced i aboilertube, as shown, and when the same have been introduced in thetube, and the uut E is turned so as to tighten the bolt D, the elasticdisk A is compressed and expanded, and is made to tightly hug the innersurface of the tube. The said elastic disk A and its concomitant partsthus form a very efi'ective plug for the tube.

For the purpose of tightening the screwbolt D, as well as forwithdrawing the plug from the tube, I make use of awrench consisting ofa socket, F, a tubular stem, G, and a handle, H. The socket F is made ofsquare or polygonal shape, and of such size that it fits over the nut Eon the screw-bolt D, while the tubular stem G is provided with aninternal screw-thread corresponding to the thread on the screw-bolt D,and made of a corresponding interior diameter to the diameter of thescrew-bolt, so that the sten can be sc'ewed on the end of the bolt.

[u order that the socket F may be attached to the tubular stem Gr anddetached therefrom at pleasure, I provide said socket with ascrew-shank, I, which is fitted in the tubular stem Gr, and insertedtherein when it is desired to attach the socket to the said stem, andvice versa, a pn, J, being passed through the sten and the screw-shankI, tor the purpose of holding the socket in place, and to cause it toturn with the screw-shank.

If, after the socket F is attached to the tubular stem Gr, it is made tocatch over the nut E, (the plug having been previously inserted in theboiler-tube,) as seen in Fig. 2, and the socket is turned in the properdirection by turning the handle H, the screw-bolt D is tightened and theelastic disk A is expanded in the tube. On the other hand, when thesocket E is detached from the tubular stem Gr, and the latter is screwedon the end of the screw-bolt D, as seen in Fig. 2, the entire plug canbe drawn out of the tube by pulling on the handle H.

On a suitable part of the tubular stem G is formed a flange, K, of equaldiameter to the interior of the boiler-tube in which the plug isinserted, or nearly so, as shown. By this flange K the wreuch is guidedwhen it is introduced in the tube, and hence no trouble is had ineentering the socket F.

The head B is made with a projection, L, which has au angular edge, andis made hollow, so that the head of the bolt D can pass through it. Thisprojection L forms a scraper, and by its action the boiler-tube in whichthe plug is inserted is cleaned of ashes and other substances that maybe found ther-ein, and thus an unobstructed passage is made for theplug.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tool or wrench for plugging boilertubes, eomposed of a detachablesoeket, F, of

poiygonal shape, of a tubular stem, G, having an internal screw-thread,and of a handle, H, in combination, and adapted to operate in cojuuctiou with a plug of the character hereinbefore described.

2. The combiuatiou of a guide-flange, K, with the tubuiar screw-stem Gof the pluggining tool or wrench, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a seraper, L, with the head B of the plug,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 19th day of February, 1877.

THOS. R. HAND. [L.s.] witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBEE.

